IHA News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Deborah A.Teschke
Manager, Media Relations & Communications
847-692-0110

25 Products Named 2008 Design Defined Honorees at International Home + Housewares Show

Twenty-Two Companies Awarded for Products Ranging from Cleaning Products to Clothing Care to Home Organization


ROSEMONT, IL (April 4, 2008)—The International Housewares Association has announced the honorees of its fourth annual Designed Defined product design recognition at the 2008 International Home + Housewares Show held at Chicago’s McCormick Place March 16-18. Twenty-five innovative products for cleaning and organizing the home were named as 2008 Design Defined Honorees.

The products were selected by Design Finders, teams of young designers, experienced practitioners and educators from the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Interdisciplinary Product Development Program. They scoured hundreds of exhibitors in the Clean + Contain Expo in the North Building and the New Exhibitor category in the Dine + Design Expo in the South Building, searching for products that exemplified a commitment to design while achieving a solution to common household cleaning, storage and home décor issues.
“The purpose of the Design Defined program is to bring attention to those companies that have placed a premium on quality design,” said Phil Brandl, president of IHA, which sponsors the Show. “We are pleased to announce the results of this much-anticipated program.”

"This year, for the first time, there was a substantive commitment to being ecologically sensitive in the design and manufacturing of a number of interesting products,” said Steven Melamed, IDSA, president of Tres Design Group and a professor in the UIC industrial design department. “The Design Finders were encouraged that this movement is finally being to take hold and become a strategic competitive advantage.”

Design Finders evaluated products according to five standard design criteria:

  • Innovation: How is the design new and unique?
  • Aesthetics: How does the appearance enhance the product?
  • User: How does the design solution benefit the user?
  • Environment: How is the product ecologically responsible?
  • Impact: How did or might the product impact the market and the company’s business?

Companies receive a Design Defined logo to use in their packaging and promotion for the life of the selected product in the marketplace.

Recognized as Design Defined Honorees are:

Dawn Scrub and Scrape
Butler Home Products, LLC

Outdoor Garden Rake
Casabella Holdings LLC

Contour Spray Bottle
Casabella Holdings LLC

AnyLock
Daesung Hi-Tech Co., Ltd.

EcoGen
Design Ideas

Beep Shelf
Dolle Shelving, LLC

24-7 Bag
Flip & Tumble

GreenShopper
Gouda, Inc.

Blumz Sink Mats
Interdesign, LLC

Drink Daddy
Iola Global Designs

Faucet Fountain
Jokari/U.S., Inc.

Latitude Hand Tools
Parker International Products, Inc.

IonFlow 50
LightAir AB

Recycle Dust Station
Like-It Co., Ltd.

Zip-Bin Wheelie
Neat-Oh! International, LLC

Nellie’s Dryerballs
Nellie's All Natural.

Lunch Bags
Milano Series

Recycled Paper Waste Bin
Organize-It-All, Inc.

Perf Go Green
Perf Go Green, Inc.

Steel Frame Dish Rack
simplehuman

Trashcan
simplehuman

Biodegradable Sponge Line
Twist

Pulp Bulletin Board
Umbra LLC

Pivo
Umbra LLC

Air Glide
Zibra LLC

Click here for a Powerpoint presentation of the honored products (80MB file).